Four finalists for town administrator

STERLING - The search for a town administrator has been narrowed to four candidates.

Former Sterling selectman Richard Sheppard is not among the finalists.

The candidates are:

+ James Duggan of Beverly, who works in the Office of Community Development for the town of Gloucester

+ Roger Hammond, director of public works for the town of Grafton, who has twice served as the town's interim administrator

+ Terri Ackerman, executive secretary for the town of Braintree

+ Michael Szlosek, an attorney who is town administrator for Ludlow.

On Tuesday, March 20, the board of selectmen will interview Duggan at 7 p.m. and Hammond at 8 p.m. The board will interview Szlosek Wednesday, March 21, at 6 p.m., and interviews Ackerman Tuesday, March 27, at 7 p.m. The interviews will be held in the Butterick Municipal Building and they are open to the public.

James Simpson of the Town Administrator Search Committee told the select board at their March 7 meeting that 34 people applied for the position.

"There were many qualified candidates from many towns, and even out of state, as far away as Pennsylvania," said Selectman Don Murray, who served on the search committee. "To bring it down in six weeks time to four, that shows you the kind of volunteers we have in this town and what they are looking for in a candidate.

Sheppard said he plans to run for the oneyear remaining on his select board term and for re-election to his three-year light board term, which concludes in May.

"It was a unique situation here in Sterling because of my vast knowledge of the town. Rest assured I won't be running in Rutland [for the administrator's job]," Sheppard said.

Master plan

The Sterling Fire Department has been working on a master plan for disasters in accordance with the National Incident Management System. Fire Chief David Hurlbut spoke about the efforts they are making, in cooperation with Sterling Board of Health member David Favreau. A core number of people must be certified in order to receive the grants available from NIMS, which defray the cost of participating in their program.

Hurlbut will meet with the selectmen to go over disaster-response plans. The plans will outline scenarios and solutions for the town in the event of an emergency such as an outbreak of an airborne virus, a natural disaster or a terrorist attack. Hurlbut said the department is planning on moving the emergency dispatching site from the basement of the municipal building to Wachusett Regional High School.

The department will be sending out letters to more than 400 medical personnel in the area, requesting them to volunteer their services for this emergency plan. Doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics, even retired medical personnel are welcome to volunteer for this elite group. "Twenty people would satisfy Sterling's need," said Hurlbut.

There is also a plan to purchase a back-up generator for the municipal building.

In other business:

+ The board reviewed an addendum to request a zoning change on Route 12 from rural residential and farming to light industrial. The request was submitted and presented by resident Ann Desmarais. Desmarais now needs to go before the planning board with her proposal. A public hearing will be held before the annual town meeting in May. "We [want to help] grant the opportunity to preserve the land for industrial growth," said Murray.